Jalopy parades

**jfk** · November-02-17, 01:29 PM

Found an interesting article. Anybody remember these or have more info

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http://theoldmotor.com/?p=59340

**archfan** · November-03-17, 01:24 AM

This sounds like a one-time event. Also, like a rather macabre way to sell cars. From The Old Motor article:

This photo shows the start of the 1953, Jalopy Parade, in Detroit, MI., at Second and Amsterdam in the Motor City, on July, 23 1953. From what has been found out about the event, it appears that it was sponsored by Detroit area Chevrolet Dealers who used cars that supposedly were involved in accidents that resulted in deaths of people other than the driver.

The cars were towed through the streets of the city by tow trucks and a banner was attached to the side of each car telling the details, the gender and ages of the people that were killed by the car. It was staged as a safety message that many of older cars were unsafe, do to lack of maintenance and age, but it could also been part of an effort to help sell more cars.

At the end of the parade, the cars were picked up by a crane and placed in a pile and set on fire and left to burn. The effort attracted considerable nation-wide interest, as Life Magazine covered the complete event in a series of photos showing the parade and the burn pile at the end.

**archfan** · November-03-17, 01:30 AM

Oops, not a one-time event. Chicago had one in Sept. 1948, too.

**Jimaz** · November-03-17, 07:47 AM

... it appears that it was sponsored by Detroit area Chevrolet Dealers who used cars that supposedly were involved in accidents that resulted in deaths of people other than the driver....

Why did they think that qualification was meaningful? Perhaps they wanted to shift the responsibility for death from the cars to the drivers/buyers through survivor's remorse?

Macabre indeed.

**EastsideAl** · November-03-17, 03:13 PM

Sounds like a really ill-conceived sales promotion.

I wonder where the cars were "set on fire and left to burn". From the linked photo it appears to be a big empty field, but the "parade" seems to have been through central city streets. I know that I sure as hell wouldn't want to live anywhere near anyplace where a massive number of cars were being burned.